The Hitman
by Miles Edgeworth
Summary: Slade Wilson is in the middle of a nasty divorce, his son's graduation, and his job is taking up all of his time. How to make it more interesting? Add Stockholm Syndrome. SlSt


_Disclaimer: Don't own Marv's ideas. Nope. And I don't get to say if I own Murakami's ideas either. But what kind of name is Murakami. Black Spirit? I dunno. But, what can I say, for all its bizarre spelling, my name just means John, so for all I know Murakami just means "Smith". Also, as usual. Queen's here. Love 'em or leave 'em._

_I also don't own Stockholm Syndrome. That one belongs to the writers of the world. Huzzah! And on another note, this fic contains 0 Slade-Drones. I just hated those things. If he had so many of those, why did he even need the HIVE in the first place?_

_Oh, the flack that I'm going to take for this one..._

**_The Hitman_**

The price was right. They sealed the deal with a brief handshake, and the spotlight faded to black. Now, one man had to prepare for a simple, but profitable mission. The man was named Slade Wilson, but in the professional capacity his name was Deathstroke the Terminator. And he would have to live up this title with this assignment.

The man said he represented Middle East interests. The bargaining went on for some time. Slade did not much care for the Middle Eastern interests. In fact he was more than willing to accept peanuts if the U.S. Government asked him to go down to Iran and stage a coup de tat what would place the United States in a much better position to set oil prices. It was beginning to become a pesky business having to raise the expenses of his missions due to gas prices.

The man took a mask from the rows and rows of identical blank faces on the wall. He placed it over him, briefly taming wild white locks back into place. He stared out of the mask, and saw things through the eyes of the Terminator. The eyes of the Terminator were alien to Slade, and they brought his mind a new perspective at what he stared at. The wall was now a mirror, reflecting a million times his own blank, cold face.

He went into his armory. He looked through each weapon placed on the rack. A concealed weapon would place him too close to the action. Automated rifles? Not a good choice, too noisy and not easy to come by. Ah, placed above the other weapons was his weapon of choice for this mission. "Ah, my old friend the Sniper Rifle. It appears as though we have been called back into the fray." He took the weapon from its place and strapped it over his shoulder.

He took a cup of tea from Wintergreen as he passed and sat down, placing it on a small table he had placed beside it. A new base of operation, and a new operation to man it for. He worked the keys of the console until it displayed the information he wanted to know. The Iranian Foreign Ambassador was not someone he would have a hard time finding in a crowd, with the eccentricities of western formal wear and Islamic traditions, but he would have to do some research on body doubles and find some way of removing them from the mission. He wouldn't allow any liabilities. He was, after all, receiving payment for this mission. "Wintergreen, ready a car."

"Any particular vehicle, sir?"

"Yes, I'm going to try and be inconspicuous. A Ford Contour, blue please. Something common, as it were." He typed away at the console, "I may be a while."

* * *

The Ambassador's staff sat in the commons room addressing two young people dressed in unusual, if still somewhat formal costume. One wore a simple black mask over his eyes. He sat in casual formal wear, except with an R insignia sewn on the right breast of the shirt. The other was a pretty young girl with strange green eyes and a purple skirt and white blouse poking at a sugar cube as though it would explode should she put it in her tea. "Excuse me," said she, "But what are these delightful taste cubes?"

"Er, Star?" the young man said, "I think you just put those in your tea, not eat them whole."

"Oh!" Starfire blushed madly, "I apologize!" 

Robin smiled, and turned to the Chief of the ambassador's staff. "She's a bit new to formal events," he said embarrassedly. Starfire looked down and stared a hole into the floor. "Where is the ambassador, sir?"

The Chief of Staff looked calmly at Robin, "The Ambassador is still resting from his flight in. He will be in momentarily. You must understand, however, that his schedule has been most difficult." Robin nodded in understanding. The Chief of Staff looked at Robin in concern, "Of course, it is of some benefit that he is sleeping. I asked you here to discuss matters of great concern. I fear that the Ambassador is in an assassin's sights."

"You don't say," Robin said. He nodded, "Well, you can rely on the Teen Titans to help keep the ambassador's life safe!"

The Chief of Staff seemed delighted. "Wonderful news! Now, do you require a tour of the grounds?" He rose from his seat and offered his hand to Starfire, "Miss?"

Starfire looked up and took the hand. She looked flustered and embarrassed as she rose to stand. Robin said, "I'd rather have a look around my own way if that's fine by you. Star, you go look around and keep an eye open for anything suspicious. It's likely that whoever this assassin is, he may be looking for chances to get to him."

"Certainly, Robin! I will be most observant!" Starfire said eagerly. She followed the chief of staff while Robin seemed to vanish into the woodwork.

The grounds were massive and beautiful. There was a garden filled with exotic and rare flowers, each expertly taken care of. The tallest bushes in the garden formed a maze that she was eager to explore. She turned to the chief of staff, "If I may, do you suppose I could explore the garden privately for a few minutes?"

"Of course!" The Chief of Staff shooed her off jovially, and sat at the edge of the porch. Starfire ran off into the garden, and examined the flowers and the trees that littered it. For a second she thought she saw an old man in the corner of her eye, but shrugged it off as something her overactive imagination had conjured up.

She danced over to the maw of the maze. Inside it was dark, as many a tree had given the maze shade, and she felt compelled to wander into its twisted confines. She stepped inside and saw three possible paths. She wondered idly which one to take. She could easily go straight and keep on the path she was going. The goal was to reach the center, and of course straight is the quickest path to the center. She looked to the left. The shade of the trees did not cover the path leading to the left, and she could see that it led to another set of turns. Then she looked to the right. There was shadow all about the right path. She could barely see how far it ran on, and it made her curious. At the edge of the path, she saw a man looking over the bushes, exploring their twisted weavings. She assumed that this must be a gardener.

She walked over to the gardener and sat down beside him, "Hello, sir," she said. The man turned to look at her. Though his hair was white, he did not appear to be very old. She wondered if he was in his forties, but he even looked to be in his late thirties. His right eye had been covered by an eye-patch, and yet he did not look particularly threatening with it, if anything it made him look like a man dressed as a pirate for Halloween. "What are you looking at?"

The gardener seemed to think, "I'm not sure how to explain this to you," he hazarded. His voice sounded somewhat familiar, but the accent, reminiscent of one from Jersey, was unfamiliar to her, "But I'm gonna try. I'm trying to see if these bushes are infested with these nasty bugs. They eat away at the leaves, and that kind of takes away from the maze. If you can see where you're going, what's the point?"

"I understand. You are a very good gardener, sir!" she complimented. The man shrugged and went back to looking within the bushes. Starfire looked at the bushes and tried seeing what the gardener was seeing, "I am nowhere near as trained as you, sir, but I see no bugs on this bush. Perhaps you should look somewhere else?"

"Nah, I'm done with this maze, my dear," he said. He rose to his feet and began to walk to the entrance of the maze. Starfire cleared her throat and asked him to wait, "What is it?"

"Mr. Gardener, I have often wondered about Earth flora. As you maintain this wondrous garden, perhaps you would be willing to give me some advice on keeping one of my own?" The gardener seemed to consider this, and then continued walking, "Please, Mr. Gardener?"

"Buy some seeds, a pot, and some soil. Plant it, water it twice a day, and keep it in the sun and it should grow," the Gardener said, without turning around. There was something chilling about his tone. "If you're a beginner, try growing one plant before you try a garden."

The Gardener left her alone in that maze. She looked down the path that she was walking towards. It was a dead end. Every path led to a dead end.

* * *

Slade Wilson sat in his car, tossing his gardener hat to the back seat. He massaged his temples and turned on the car radio. The girl Starfire had been there. That meant that the Teen Titans would very soon be involved. He was beginning to be very glad he asked for that large sum of money. He buckled up, turned on the engine, and began to drive out onto the highway of the city.

He needed a plan, he realized, to clear the Titans out of the way. He dialed a number on his car phone, and Wintergreen answered, "Wintergreen, I need a copy of the Ambassador's itinerary." The PDA in Slade's pocket beeped in confirmation, and Slade grinned, "Thank you. No, cancel my dinner plans. Tell her I'm sorry. Look, I, no. Just, just tell her I'll be late." He hung up his phone and turned up the radio.

_I can't live with you, but I can't live without you..._

The radio taunted him as he drove down towards the Titan Tower.

* * *

Robin had called the Titans to meet him in the living room, and they had been assembled there when Robin and Starfire entered a little while later. Robin had a look of determined seriousness to his person. "Titans, we've got a very important job ahead of us."

The assembled Titans just nodded at him. Cyborg eventually spoke up, "What kind of important job? City-wide?"

"Worse. World-wide." Robin sighed, "We've been asked to protect the Iranian Ambassador during his week stay in the city. I want two Titans with him at any given time when he's out, and one Titan on guard during the night. The Ambassador's staff claims that an assassin's after him, so we've got to be careful."

"Uh, Robin," Raven said, "Why is the Ambassador here, anyway? Shouldn't he be in Washington or something?"

"There's a symposium at the city's University," Robin explained, "On the state of the Middle East. They had invited the Ambassador to speak there."

Raven nodded. Beast Boy was next to voice a concern, "Uh, dude. What if we screw up."

"War," Raven answered. "The Middle East is what many label a powder keg. This would just be the spark."

"Why are we talking about sparks and powder kegs again?" Beast Boy asked. Robin sighed.

"Boom. Full scale war." Robin turned his attention to the group, "Understand our situation?" There was a general nod of affirmation amongst the group. "The Ambassador has said he wishes to have a tour of the city. Beast Boy and I will be the escort. Beast Boy, remember, anything you say to the Ambassador, you will be saying to the entire nation of Iran."

"No worries, bro. Fo' shizzle." There was a collective blank stare aimed directly at Beast Boy. Robin cleared his throat.

"That's what I was worried about. The rest of you are on call, so keep your communication lines open, got it?"

"Where the milk be at in this piece, son."

"Shut up, Beast Boy."

* * *

Slade Wilson parked near the Titans Tower. He looked at the menacing structure and let out a bemused chortle. "Ah, of all the things you could have chosen to represent your team in the high-rise, you chose the letter T. I will never completely understand you Robin, never." He stroked his beard, considering what his next move was.

Beast Boy and Robin walked past, looking serious. They were likely off to attend to the Ambassador. He watched them pass by him without even recognizing him. The part of Slade that was an ordinary, family-minded, hard-working citizen found himself realizing how innocent and infantile the boys seemed. They walked with capes and tights that no one would dream of taking into the real world. They were from a different reality than Slade Wilson was.

He sat by his car and watched the river flow. Waiting was an important part of the job, because without patience one would easily be defeated. And defeat was the only option not available for a mercenary. The river didn't know defeat, because nothing could stand in its way. The river could even douse the brightest fires.

Perhaps, though, it couldn't douse the fire of the stars. He remembered idly about a play his former wife had taken him to see about a criminal and a policeman. The policeman had sworn by the starlight that he would catch the policeman. Slade gazed at the river. Then again, he had drowned, after all.

"Mr. Gardener? What are you doing here?" chirped a lark. Slade looked at Starfire and frowned somewhat. She was the only one who had seen him without his mask and the only one who would think of talking to someone introduced as a lowly gardener.

"Ah, it's you. Lucky," he said, trying his best to hide behind his accent. "I was looking for a," he stumbled for an excuse, "The gardening store." He cursed himself. How could he be so stupid to think that a gardener wouldn't know where the Gardening Store was. To his delight, the look on Starfire's face was not fazed by this evidence.

Starfire's face was as bright as the sun, "How fortuitous! What a glorious day! You could then, perhaps, show me which tools are most efficient?" Slade scowled to himself, and looked to the river again. It was beginning to seem as though the only things in life that were definite were death, taxes, and Titans. And he hadn't encountered the first two personally.

"Of course." Inspiration struck him, "I'll give you a ride, miss." He realized that this could be worrisome, and Starfire's distrustful expression confirmed this, "Of course, stupid me. Maybe it would be best if we just met there. Can you give me directions?" Success! Starfire's expression immediately turned to unsure and upset.

"I, oh, I'm so terribly sorry. I don't know how to explain it! I could show you, though." Slade smiled and nodded. He opened the passenger seat of his car and let her in before closing the doors.

"Please, don't trouble yourself. I'm most grateful for your help actually, Starfire." He dropped his accent as he took off down the street, "Now I won't have to worry about your troublesome teammates spoiling what should be a quick and easy mission."

Starfire turned to look at him, "Mr. Gardener? What are you talking about?" She looked at him like a puppy who had just been kicked. Slade scratched his nose and frowned.

"My name is Wilson, Slade Wilson." He admitted it was a bit too James Bond, but perhaps someday he would look back on this and laugh. "I apologize, hostages aren't usually something I believe in. However, when dealing with my former apprentice I think I need to bend the rules just a little."

"Slade!" Starfire gasped. She hadn't expected him to look anything like this behind his mask. She was expecting someone repulsive, confused, and secluded. However, this man was secure, open, and most of all he was actually a very handsome man besides that. "I cannot believe this. I have been tricked!"

"Tricked is such an ugly word. I prefer volunteered." She did not respond, and to this Slade frowned. "Are you thirsty?"

"What are you asking me this for?" Starfire asked. He had infected the Titans with nanomachines before, so she did not put the possibility of poison beyond him.

"I'm asking because I saw a little cafe and decided I could use a bit of herbal tea right around now. Are you thirsty?"

"Oh," Starfire said. She felt a bit more certain he would not try anything outside, and perhaps she could even escape.

"I warn you, though, don't try and escape." Starfire looked at Slade, his eye coldly defiant, even a bit dangerous. She deflated considerably. There was something in that eye that told her that no matter what she did, he would somehow catch her.

"Then I would enjoy partaking in refreshing beverages to alleviate the burden of thirst," Starfire said. Slade smirked, and parked the car.

"Come on."

* * *

"Why?" Starfire asked. Slade didn't look up from his tea. She asked again, this time in a more pleading tone. He didn't immediately answer, not sure how to respond. "What code do you follow now that you have taken a hostage?" Slade sipped his tea, not letting his brow relate the feeling of frustration that this girl had somehow managed to bring to the surface. He evenly stared at his drink as he brought it to the table again. "Why do you persist in this aura of silence?"

"Because you haven't let me answer." Slade looked up from his drink. "Let me put the words together in my head." Starfire squeaked one last time before becoming as quiet as a mouse. Slade stroked his beard absently. "I'm going to give you the absolute best care I can give you. I promise to you that you'll come to no harm."

"But my friends. They will be concerned. They will know that you are, as they say, 'up to no good.'" Slade smirked as he brought his cup up again. Starfire stared at him, "What is so amusing?"

"You've got it," Slade said, putting down the teacup, "My plan, you've summed it up quite nicely. They'll know that I'm up to no good because I'll tell them that you're in my company. Unfortunately, I don't have any of my drones prepared for this duty right now, and I've been set back a bit in production thanks to you and your friends. You will have to do."

"But you said no harm would come to me," Starfire said, almost afraid. She could feel fear attempt to take her, but her brow stayed level. She would not let him know he had the advantage. "Are you lying?"

"No. I just won't be telling them that little detail. I'll let their imaginations do much more horrible things to you than I could ever think of. You teenagers are very good at coming up with horrible things for people to do to one another." He muttered to himself, "All those violent video games these days." Starfire found herself amused by this, and a single giggle escaped her breath.

She cleared her throat and looked at Slade, this time her eyes narrowing in determination. "What are you after? The Ambassador?"

"Of course. Paid in full already. Can't let the man's confidence go to waste, now can I?" Slade looked back at her intensely, narrowing his eyes in a mockery of her expression. "Your drink, is it sour?"

"What do you mean?"

"Your face," he said, pointing at her face, "Is your drink sour?"

"No, it is not." She felt her face, and the wrinkles did seem to indicate her face had been contorted in such a fashion to make her look as though citric acid had entangled her tongue with a sickening sensation. She eased her face back into its wide-eyed innocence and let herself relax her muscles. She was prepared, at the first sign of an opening, to flee, but Slade's eye followed her like a hawk. He seemed to be thinking out her every breath minutes before they happened. The cool, intelligent eyes bore down at her, and she was reminded of Robin.

She was reminded of the kind and intelligent Robin who showed her the planet for its beauty, and not the strange figure he became when confronted with this seemingly invincible foe.

"Mr. Wilson," Starfire asked. She was shocked as Slade's level brow rose in surprise. "What is the matter?"

"I'm not used to being called Mr. Wilson by anyone, Starfire." Slade finished the last of his tea and looked at her, expectantly. "You were saying?" She cleared her throat.

"I was about to say, Mr. Wilson, that I find it strange that you would take this line of work. You do not appear to be a bad person in and of yourself, or you would have stolen the money and not committed yourself to the task given. However your work has the unfortunate ability to force yourself to use your intellect and strength for less than noble goals."

"I see where you're going, Starfire." Slade mused, "I'm not a bad person? I wouldn't agree. I'm a very nasty person. I've killed hundreds, whether in war or in peace. I've never been called on to save the world. I'm not a superhero, or superhero material. I'm a mercenary, and mercenaries don't care for right or wrong as long as the price is right."

"But it should not have to be." Starfire almost pleaded with him, "You could use your skills for the betterment of man."

"Betterment of man?" Slade asked, almost appalled by the absurdity. "I put my life on the line for that, and it still wasn't enough. My skills, my thirst for adventure, all of it came for the betterment of man and man didn't get better for it." There was a pause. Starfire broke it.

"How did you become who you are?" she asked, curiosity brimming in her eyes. Slade complied, clearing his throat.

"I suppose it began when the Government began testing for a new serum that would let the American soldier resist the effects of a truth serum. I was the test subject. Willingly. I volunteered because I wanted to better mankind. The United States has been my home all my life. I felt I owed it to them. Maybe I was searching for an act of heroism, I don't know, but this untested formula not only expanded my brain, but improved me in every possible way." Slade sighed. He continued, his voice betraying his feelings not; it was an even, comforting drone. "But that wasn't enough for them. They worried about long-term effects of the serum, and I was asked to leave the army."

"You were angry with them?" Starfire asked.

"No. I understood exactly where it came from. And they probably were right; things like that could have a negative effect on a man's brain. Leave him insane and dangerous." Slade narrowed his eyes, "It's me that was the problem. I thought I could settle down with my fiancée, continue my life and leave the thrill behind. But I couldn't. It was a drug, and I wanted more of it."

"I understand," Starfire said. "You wanted to fight more. It is common among my people for them to die in military service. We are a proud race of warriors." She wondered idly, "Would it be the same for us, once our time to fight is past, to want to fight more?" 

Slade looked contemplative. Starfire cocked her head to the side. "I apologize for this. It's usually against my code to do this, but I didn't feel like drawing out this mission any longer than I had to."

"Because you are guilty?" Starfire asked.

"No," Slade said. "Because I benefit from this job as well. Tensions between nations lead to costumers for a mercenary, and costumers lead to a good livelihood. I have a son to put through college, you know."

"That is," she frowned, "Most dishonorable."

"Not to me, it isn't." He continued, "I find kidnapping to be a horribly cowardly thing, for example, but war is just a typical phase in the human peace cycle."

"If kidnapping is cowardly, why do you hide behind your weapons and schemes."

"Starfire," Slade said, "There is no weapon more elegant than a gun. Simple, easy, a gun can render the real killer imperceptible if used correctly. A personal weapon becomes a trusty friend in the middle of war. Cowardice isn't a gun, it's hiding from using one when the need arises."

Slade rose from the table.

"We're going." Slade grabbed Starfire's hand gently, "Come along, young lady." Starfire forced her hand away and rose.

"I am coming. You need not rush me." She stood up defiantly. "And do not touch me." Slade snorted in contempt. As they entered the car, Starfire asked, "Why are we leaving?"

"We've stayed in one place too long. I can't afford to have Robin or one of your friends attempt to take you back quite yet." Starfire looked at him pleadingly, and he grudgingly asked, "What is it?"

"Do not bring harm to them. Please." She looked at him, square in the eye. "I will go willingly if only I have your word of honor that no harm shall come to any of my friends."

"On my honor no harm will come to them."

* * *

Raven looked around the living room. Something wasn't right. "Cyborg." He was playing a video game and didn't pay any mind to her. "Cyborg," she repeated, with more emphasis. "Cyborg!" The screen flickered.

"What?" he yelled angrily.

"Have you seen Starfire?" she asked. He thought on this. Then he shook his head. "She's been gone how long now?"

"Been an hour I think." Cyborg looked at his watch. "And ten minutes."

Raven looked thoughtfully at the ceiling for a minute. "Should she have taken that long to get gardening supplies?" There was a beeping sound. "Probably her calling to say she got herself lost again."

"She's not that bad at directions." Cyborg went to the video screen to receive the call. "Is that you, Star?"

"Cyborg, I'm flattered." The voice caused chills to run down the Titans' spines. Slade's masked face appeared on the video screen, looking calmly forward. "But I'm not Starfire."

"What do you want, Slade?" Raven asked calmly. Slade chortled softly.

"It's particularly ironic that you should mention Starfire, actually. She's here, with me." The camera moved to the side to show a bound and gagged Starfire. "And all I ask for her safe return is for you Titans to meet me. I'm sure you'll find out where, considering how talented you kids are." The feed cut off. 

The two Titans stood in shock. Cyborg moved to contact Robin, but Raven put a hand out to stop him. "We can't tell him, not yet." Cyborg opened his mouth to protest. "Think of his reaction. He'll go off the wall. He will be dangerous to us."

"You saying we should make him sit this one out?" Cyborg said. "I don't think that's fair to him."

Raven shook her head, "I'm not suggesting that, but we have to keep him from becoming a liability." Raven looked over the video again, searching for details, "Let me see if I can locate him. Then we can focus Robin's anger somewhere where it will be a benefit to us."

"A bit draconian, aren't you?" Cyborg asked wryly.

Raven smirked. "If I need to be," she answered. "But we've seen him angry before and he practically can be a one man army if he needs to be."

"Fine, fine. If you really think that's wise," he said carefully. Raven nodded subtly and continued reviewing the video. "What should I do?" Cyborg asked as he approached her carefully. He pushed one of the buttons, bringing up a series of on-screen menus for him to browse. "I could trace the frequency, but we know he'd be moving."

Raven sighed, "You keep an eye on the ambassador. We need to make sure this isn't just some trap."

"Gotcha," Cyborg said.

* * *

Starfire sighed sadly. She had been taken to a nice hotel room, where she would be given the best care imaginable. Whatever Slade had done, he had been very successful at it to afford this room. "I know, Addie, I know. Listen -- yes, I know this is exactly why you're-- I know I missed Grant's graduation party, but you have to-- please let me finish a-- fine. Fine. I'll speak with your lawyer then, at least he'll let me finish a goddamn sentence!" He hung up angrily. "Women," he cursed.

"What is wrong?" Starfire asked.

"Starfire," he said, "Never marry. Or better, never divorce. Kill your husband first, he will thank you in the afterlife."

"A divorce?" Starfire asked. The definition was a bit confusing. It was the breaking of marriage vows, and going separate ways. However, it seemed to be more of an otherworldly torture to Slade, his face, usually calm and calculated, stressed and wild. "I apologize."

"For what? Hell, I don't even blame the woman," he said. He sat down, closing his eye. "If anything, it's my fault. And for all its worth, I apologize for having to drag you into this. And all the while listening to me rant."

"You are usually so dignified," Starfire said. "You always frightened me because I could never understand what you were feeling."

"And now I lose that advantage," Slade said. "Just my luck."

"I do not mean that." She approached Slade carefully, "What I mean is that now I understand you I feel," she looked carefully for a word. "Ah, my vocabulary is failing me. This language is not adequate for the feeling I am trying to relate."

"I think the closest you'll find is compassion or possibly even, most repulsive of all, pity." Slade opened his eye, "I don't need that. Oh, definitely not."

"What is wrong with pity?" Starfire asked.

"Pity is for those who are too weak to support themselves."

"But it is sometimes what a person needs to gain strength. It is not a shameful thing to need a helping hand."

Slade looked at her, his brow furrowed in a bit of infuriation. "Why do you think that?" he asked her. She looked surprised and confused. He cleared his throat and looked her over. "You're strong," he said, "Vibrant and beautiful. If anything, you have had it lucky. Many men and women work for things as strength and beauty. None of them ever achieve them in the truest meaning of the words, they often look beautiful or look strong, but they're just not," he looked for the right word to articulate his point, "Authentic."

Starfire bashfully said, "You believe I am beautiful and strong?" Slade nodded. "I am an authentic beauty. That is the most flattering thing any man has ever said to me." Slade looked a bit embarrassed, his gaze shooting to the floor immediately. Starfire noticed this, and how his gestures, their slight movements, indicated a small amount of shame. "Is something wrong."

"No," Slade said. "Let me continue. I wanted to ask, what makes you think that there's no shame in help."

"Robin," Star answered. "He told me that people must work together to be a better society." Slade looked her over critically, his brow level. "What is it, Mr. Wilson?"

"Please," Slade said, "Just Slade. I think I'm going to run into a kid named Dennis any second now."

"Pardon?"

"Never mind," he responded. "You really believe Robin's absolutely correct. A perfect society is a mixture of self-reliance and inter-dependence. And that's why it fails. One can't be reliant on themselves while they're dependent on another. And when the dichotomy is too sharp, then I'm called in." Slade smirked. "I sometimes feel I have done the world a little good whenever I remove a particularly disgusting individual. Then it catches up with me. Karma, as it were."

"Karma," Starfire said ponderingly, "But does that not only affect the next life and not this one?"

"It's sometimes used as an English slang word for the old adage 'What goes around comes around'." 

"I believe I understand," Starfire answered. She seemed genuinely concerned as she looked over at him. "You do not believe that there is such a chance for a perfect world? You have lost all ideals, then."

"No," Slade said, "I'm just not so naive anymore."

"But to strive for such things are what makes life worth living for!" Starfire urged.

Slade smirked, and a chortle escaped his lips, "Why are you so vivacious?"

"I apologize, but how do you wish me to answer?" Starfire asked. Slade shook his head.

"It was a rhetorical question."

"I do not understand."

"It's simple, I posed a question to instead make a point," Slade said. "By asking why you are so vivacious I am out loud stating that I find your attitude almost mysteriously effervescent and optimistic in light of all you must have seen."

"I believe I comprehend," Starfire said. She smiled brightly, "Do you wish me to tell you why?"

"Maybe later," Slade said. "Right now, I need to get to work."

"It will not take more than perhaps 2.48 minutes of time," Starfire assured. "I wish to share with you my story." Slade hesitated. "Please."

He took her gently by the wrist, "Come along, then."

* * *

"Found him," Raven said, confidently. "Now, to relay this information to Robin." She turned, only to be looking at the critical expression of Robin, who tapped his toe impatiently.

"Found who?" he asked, smoothly. Raven scrambled her hands to find where she had assigned that file to play back.

_"It's particularly ironic that you should mention Starfire, actually. She's here, with me." The camera moved to the side to show a bound and gagged Starfire. "And all I ask for her safe return is for you Titans to meet me. I'm sure you'll find out where, considering how talented you kids are." The feed cut off. _

"Slade," Robin said, angrily. "When did this happen."

"Not too long ago. I know where he is," Raven said. "But we shouldn't just rush in. Starfire could be in danger if we do."

"Where is he?" Robin asked. "What does he want?"

"He's after the ambassador, Robin," Raven said. Robin paused, the delicacy of the situation becoming readily apparent. "I think we should keep an eye open for any traps. He could just as easily be leading us away from the ambassador."

"Where is he?"

"He's," she paused, "Warehouse district, down on the outskirts. He may have an accomplice."

"We can't just leave Star in that madman's hand!" Robin declared.

"I know that."

"Here's what I think we should do. Raven, you come with me. Cyborg and Beast Boy keep an eye on the ambassador, and keep him under close surveillance."

"I've already taken the liberty of assigning them that task," Raven said. "I suppose you'll distract Slade while I free Starfire?"

"Exactly." Robin paused.

"Great minds think alike?" Raven suggested, with a slight grin on her face.

"I guess they do," Robin said, pausing. "Okay, let's get him."

* * *

Slade finally entered the car about ten minutes later. Starfire greeted him softly, and asked him if he would listen to her tale. He nodded. "I believe in a thing called love," Starfire explained. "It is something great and wondrous, that no mountain can dwarf nor sea drown!" Her enthusiasm burst forth from the seams. "There is nothing more powerful than this love, and I share my love with all my friends eagerly, to give them my strength."

"Sounds vaguely Japanese," Slade said, but Starfire could not decided if he meant the sentiment or her speech pattern. "Go on."

"When I was young, my pet became inexplicably ill," Starfire explained, "But I nursed him to health with my love. It was a joyous day, and I still remember it to this day. I recall there was a wind from the south-west and that there was a plant with yellow roots emerging from the ground."

"Details, irrelevant details," Slade muttered. Starfire hurriedly went back on track.

"My sister said that it must have been because I was so pathetic that my beloved pet felt stronger," Starfire explained. "However, from that day forth he never once showed the same symptoms. It was because of my love for him, and in this small gesture I became aware that all things are thus affected."

"Really," Slade muttered. "I must be getting soft."

"Sorry?"

"Nothing," Slade said. He stopped his vehicle in front of the Embassy. "Get out."

"What?"

"Stay here. If I know Robin, he will be waiting for me when I get there." He motioned for her to get out of the car, "When they come here, I'll have finally completed the mission and you're free to go."

"Please reconsider," Starfire said. "You need not do this."

Slade rolled his eye. "Didn't you hear me the first time? I'm not very nice, Starfire. I don't mind doing things for money."

"I heard that you were honorable, and that means you would reconsider." Starfire pouted aggressively. Slade was taken aback, stepping back slightly, but saved face.

"My honor code is my own," Slade said, "Most people would think it's despicable."

"I do not," Starfire said. Slade pulled Starfire out of the car. "You are hurting me!" she complained. He let go, paused, and moved to the driver's side. "You will not reconsider?"

"Sorry, Starfire," Slade said. "If you had thought you could redeem me, you were sadly mistaken." Starfire frowned, looking upset. "Don't give me that look."

"You are not as evil as you believe yourself to be!" Starfire reminded him. Slade slammed the door shut and drove off. Starfire coughed and reeled back, leaning against a wall. She sighed, "Perhaps it was I who was foolhardy."

"Was that him just now? Why did he leave?" someone muttered. "Yes, yes, I know what you said, but isn't that just plain silly? He's stalling. I don't think he can do it." Starfire peeked into the Embassy yard, seeing the Chief of Staff muttering to someone over a cell-phone. "Remember, we need Slade alive to confess to the murder. Okay. Report in at five."

"What is this?" Starfire sneaked carefully over the wall and crept forward.

"Idiot," the Chief of Staff muttered. "Can't even assassinate without making a show of it." His ears seemed to perk up and he reached into his coat pocket, "Who's there?" Starfire moved to a hiding place behind a corner. She squeaked quietly, afraid of being caught. She heard a gun click and he looked over the corner and right at her. "Hello. I do hope you weren't eavesdropping."

Starfire panicked. She took to the air quickly. "I must alert the others," she thought. "And I must warn Slade!" A gunshot sounded, and she felt a sharp pain in her arm. She began to lose her altitude, landing in the garden behind the Embassy. She shrieked, her landing cushioned by the bushes in the hedge maze. She rose, finding her arm to be hanging loosely. She groaned.

* * *

Slade looked in his rearview mirror. "Pesky. You're following me aren't you?" He turned down the road into the warehouse district. "Oh, very well. If you really want to play." He hit the gas and accelerated down the road. The following car picked up its pace. Slade smiled, hitting the breaks, and turning around rapidly, turning to face the incoming car, "Toro." He accelerated again, playing chicken with his shadow. The car swerved early. Slade passed by and turned down the road back towards the the warehouse meeting place.

Robin turned when he heard the screech of the tires as a car came to a halt outside the warehouse. "Slade."

"Hello, Robin. I'm sorry I'm late." Slade left the car, looking plain sinister as he emerged from it. He mentally counted the Titans. Two of them. "Where are your friends?"

"What is with that car?" Raven asked, bewildered. She couldn't figure out for the life of her why Slade needed a car, nonetheless one so commonplace.

"Did you honestly think we didn't know you had something planned." Robin glared at him, "Where's Starfire!"

"Where is Starfire?" Slade asked. "Where is she? That's a very good question, Robin."

"Stop playing games, Slade," Robin demanded. "I want an answer, now."

"Robin, Robin, Robi--" the screech of tires cut him off. "Oh, and he caught up. He must have planted a bug on the car. Infuriating." Slade drew his gun and fired a round into the car. Someone jumped out of the car, and was immediately rolled behind cover. The car's engine combusted, sending the car flying into the air. Raven's telekinesis held it and brought it to the ground.

Robin leapt at Slade, who ducked and turned to keep his eye on the shadow. He brought his hands up to block Robin's onslaught easily, but was almost caught off-guard by a plank shot out by Raven. "Excuse me," he told Robin, bringing a fist up to Robin's stomach. While repelled, the attack left Robin open to be kicked to the side. Slade ducked under another plank being thrown by Raven, and grabbed a third to throw back and destroy a fourth. A fifth and a sixth zoomed past his head. "Do you mind?"

"We want Starfire back, now." Slade sighed, and tossed a hand grenade in Raven's general direction.

"Catch," he said. He had kept a look out for the shadow, whose path to a closer location hadn't been too hard to follow. "Going somewhere?" he asked, bringing his gun up. The shadow panicked, and his eyes widened. "I don't think so." He fired his gun. He ducked under Robin's attack, leaping into a counter attack, which Robin repelled.

They moved back, Robin pushing the offensive. Slade repelled a series of punched and ducked under a roundhouse. He grabbed Robin's leg and threw him behind him, kicking him forward. Robin tripped, and landed on his face. Raven propelled in, but Slade ducked and brought his fist up.

To his surprise, Raven repels it. "They tell me I fight like a boy," she said.

"Indeed?" Slade asked, sounding bemused. He exchanged blows with her for a moment, easily overpowering her and sending her to the side. "Well, this has been fun."

"Where is she!" Robin demanded. Slade weaved to bring Robin back against a wall.

"I'm sorry, Robin, but your princess is in another palace." Robin scowled and broke free, pushing Slade back. He ran forward, jumping up to kick Slade, when they were all distracted by the ringing of a cellular phone nearby. "Excuse me." Slade ducked to the body of the shadow, who lay prone, alive, but hurt badly. "Is this yours? Mind if I answer it?"

He answered the phone.

* * *

Starfire hobbled, unable to keep herself above the ground for more than a second. She gripped strongly to her arm, trying to stop the loss of blood. She tried to hide in the hedge maze until he had gone, but she heard him following.

She didn't understand why he would hire someone to assassinate the ambassador only to bring him in to the authorities for it. She stumbled against stone floors. She had reached the center of the labyrinth.

She heard the click of the safety release. "I'm really sorry about this, but if you revealed anything I'd just be in a bad spot."

"I, I," Starfire stuttered. She tried to conjure up the energy for her starbolts, but her powers felt limp with the fatigue from the gunshot wound.

"Please don't think too badly of me," he requested. He brought the gun up, but she charged. She was weak, but her body still possessed more than enough strength to force him aside. The gun fell to the ground and fired randomly. Starfire jumped back. The Chief of Staff crawled to his feet and stumbled towards the gun. Starfire carefully picked it up. "Put that down," he told her.

She refused, "No. Stop or I will shoot." She aimed at him, but he laughed. "Please. Surrender and you will be treated well."

"Do you even know how to use that?" he asked. "And what will you do if I do surrender? Arrest me?"

"Yes."

"You don't have any jurisdiction here. We're in Iran. That's what an Embassy is." Starfire paused. "Just drop the weapon, girl."

"You are afraid," she observed. He forcefully reached to grab the weapon. Starfire cocked the gun back. "Stop!" she demanded. He did not, and instead struggled to take the weapon back. In the chaos the gun fired and he dropped, dead, to the ground.

Starfire crumpled to the floor, and felt for a heartbeat. Blood gushed from the wound, and she was certain she was going to be sick if it weren't for the adrenaline pumping through her veins. She felt around his pockets for the cell-phone he had used earlier.

She tried to think of who to call. First she tried the Tower, which was empty. She quickly thought of calling 911, but thought against it. She then noticed a list of numbers on it, on which there was only one. "His accomplice!" she dialed it, and when it was answered she screamed, "You will not harm my friends!"

The voice on the other end was familiar and calm, "I swore I wouldn't, didn't I?"

"S, slade?" she asked. "Mr. Slade, please help me! I am in trouble. I do not know what to do!"

"Calm down. Where are you?"

"The maze," she said, "At the center. Mr. Slade, someone was using you! They were planning on capturing you so that you would confess to the assassination."

"Clever glory-hog. He would have failed, but," he paused, "Thank you. How did you get this number, anyway."

Starfire just blathered incoherently in a foreign tongue. "Calm down!" Slade said. "I'll be there soon. Just stay calm."

He hung up. Starfire breathed heavily, and turned to rise. She wished the bleeding would stop. She considered briefly calling 911, when she heard someone asking, "Did you hear those gunshots?"

"I don't see anyone," his friend responded. "Who's there?"

Starfire squeaked and began to hobble down the side of the hedge maze to hide. She listened carefully, there was a pause.

There was a pause, "That was Robin." It was Cyborg talking. "Slade's hit the road. It was a trap. We should be ready for him."

"What about Star?" Starfire perked up. Beast Boy was there too. She wanted to call out to them.

"I don't know. We should get the ambassador out of here," Cyborg said. "It isn't safe."

"Right," Beast Boy said.

They appeared to be gone. Starfire felt afraid and lonely.

* * *

Robin headed after Slade's getaway vehicle. Raven and him had split up, she had taken the wounded man to get medical aid, while he would catch Slade. Slade's driving was reckless. It didn't stop for red lights and made sudden turns.

Robin was suspicious. Wherever it was leading wasn't the Embassy, but he knew it may shine some light on the whole situation with Starfire.

His suspicions were confirmed when the car crashed into the parking garage of the Palace Hotel. "I can't believe it," Robin said. The car was wrecked, and looking inside, he found no one.

Hope raised, however, he went into the hotel lobby and asked about Starfire. "Yes, we had a girl by that description here with her uncle. They just went out."

"She left with him?"

"Yes." Robin frowned. "Can I do anything for you, sir?"

"Deliver this message to her," he wrote down something quickly. "When she comes in here again."

"I will."

Robin looked infuriated. What had Slade done. It made no sense.

* * *

Slade was wondering what he was doing. It made no sense. He rushed down the rooftops of town towards the Embassy. Taking a truck to the center of town made things easier, but he still had to hurry there. It wouldn't be too long before Robin realized that he had been following a dummy.

"Slade," a voice rang in his ear, "Your car has ceased to function. Are you okay?"

"Yes, Wintergreen," Slade said. "I'm going to miss that one, but all for the cause."

"Which is, sir?" Wintergreen asked.

Slade paused, "Which is, Wintergreen, getting me out of this mess. Sometimes I wish I weren't so honor-bound."

"Taken for a ride, again, old friend?"

"Again," Slade said. "If it's not someone with a personal grudge, it's some glory hound, isn't it? I should just stop accepting jobs that pay up-front."

"I'll make a note of it to remind you," Wintergreen said. "Also, your ex-wife called about finalizing the divorce papers. Her lawyer seemed flustered."

"I would be too," Slade said. "You know how that woman can get when she's angry."

"True," Wintergreen said.

"Cutting off feed, Wintergreen. I'm approaching the Embassy."

"Very good, sir." Slade leapt down into the Embassy yard, gently, making sure no one saw him. It seemed quiet. Something had scared them all off. Well, it was lucky he thought, but it still left him concerned.

He ran to the maze quickly as he could. It was surprisingly dark in here. He hadn't realized it before. The paths all seemed to end, but there had to be a way to the center. He could hear a soft moaning distant, and hurried after it.

He wondered idly if Stockholm Syndrome worked in reverse. He approached the center of the maze despite himself, and found a corpse staring up at him. Things just got increasingly messy. "Well, it's been a while, hasn't it. You don't look too good. Clean up." He turned the man face down. "Starfire?" he called. There was a slight moan. "Starfire!" he ran to the moan. She looked worse for wear, her skin pale and sweaty and her eyes unfocused. They seemed dimmed.

"I am scared," she muttered. "I am scared."

He looked over the wound. The bullet hadn't left an exit wound, so it must still be in there. "Calm down. I'm here. You're not going to get in trouble for this."

"Panicked. I did not know what to do."

"It's all right," Slade said. "It's scary to get shot."

"You have been shot before?" she said, seemingly amazed.

"Plenty of times. How do you think I lost this eye?" He spoke calmly to her, trying to calm her in exchange. She seemed eased by his presence. "I'm going to try and take out the remove the bullet, stay calm." She nodded. He brought out a knife from around his leg. Starfire's eyes widened and she panicked. He removed his mask. "Calm down. I've done this before." He put his hand around her mouth and carefully dug into the wound, opening it wider and digging into it. She howled in pain, muted by his hand.

He removed his hand, and she softly spoke, "It hurt."

"I'm sorry," he wrapped some fabric around her wound. "There. Just a small piece of metal," he joked, showing her the bloodied bullet.

"Thank you for helping me," she said. "Cyborg and Beast Boy have taken the Ambassador somewhere."

"Why are you telling me that?"

"I thought you wer--" Slade cut her off.

"I'm not."

"Why not?" Starfire asked. Slade didn't answer. She smiled in an attempt to comfort the silence. "I do not need an answer."

"Wintergreen," Slade said, into a communicator, "Get me a vehicle and meet me down at the Palace Hotel. There's one more thing we need to do."

"What is that?" Starfire asked.

"Get everything back to normal." He looked calm, but there was a bit of a crease in his brow.

"I am to return home?" Starfire asked. She looked concern. "But what about the wound?"

"Explain that I shot you in the arm," Slade answered without missing a beat. "Now, are you ready to go home?"

Starfire looked contemplative.

* * *

The phone rang in the Titans Tower, a phone that Robin eagerly picked up. "Robin?" Cyborg's voice was on the other end, "We found another one. Killed. Gunshot. Doesn't look pretty. He must have been killed by mistake when we heard those gunshots."

"So, two dead," Robin said. "And Starfire's still missing."

"Don't worry, man. We'll find her." Cyborg hung up. Robin tried to sort the loose ends together. Slade had shot a man, then answered the man's phone afterwards. He held a conversation with someone over the line while fighting them off. He held back. And then a second man ends up dead within a time period that Slade couldn't have been there.

It was a regular mystery. He set to solving it, but was interrupted by a phone call. He answered. "Hello, Robin." Starfire. "I apologize for all of this."

"Star! You're okay!" he said, relieved. His voice lighted immediately.

"Yes, but I cannot return. I received your message. It was sweet," she said. "However, I have come to a decision."

"What?" Robin felt his hopes being dashed. "What are you saying?"

"I am sorry, Robin. I do not know if we shall meet again."

Starfire hung up.

The mystery deepened. Robin was resolved to solve it. He tracked the call.

* * *

Slade looked a bit uncomfortable, driving down the highway with a girl, no more than 17, sitting shotgun. She casually tossed the phone out the window and smiled at him. He smiled back. "Why did you...?"

"I have reasons," Starfire said mysteriously.

"You do?"

"Yes," Starfire said, "I do." The tone made him stiffen. He opted to turn up the radio and listen to that.

"_Is it only a dream to a teenaged queen? And all the years of tears and laughter that we can go through, will it be happy ever after for me and you?_"

"I swear," Slade said, "This thing is against me." He looked sidelong at Starfire for a second. "What to do now?"

"Perhaps we could disappear," Starfire said. "I am eager for a new adventure far away from here."

"I hear Europe's nice this time of year. We could see Venice, Athens, Berlin..."

"...London and Paris," Starfire added. She smiled a bit mischievously, to Slade's chagrin. He grinned regardless.

"You're a little imp, aren't you?"

"Am I?" she asked, innocently.

Slade laughed as he drove into the sunset like a modern cowboy. "You know," he said, turning to her, "This could be the start of a beautiful friendship."

_fin_

* * *

_Finally finished this one. It's been in the works for six months. The earlier segments seem uneven. I've really improved in six months. Fancy. But anyway. Ignore some of the plot-holes and logic errors early on and the last half is pretty darn exciting._

_I give it a Bronze Hierophant Statue. For effort._


End file.
